I just sold my Compaq TC1000 Tablet PC and bought a 1.5Ghz 15-inch PowerBook. So far I am satisfied with my purchase.
I wanted a computer to hold all of my work. I had a Tablet and a desktop machine and I was never sure which one had the data I needed. A desktop replacement laptop seemed like the perfect response.
Size matters. The TC1000 has a 10.4-inch screen. The quality of the screen is a bit cloudy, a result of protecting the surface from pen scratches. I wanted a bigger screen.
Choosing an OS. My desktop PC is very moody. I have blue screens of death, corruption errors during installs, and none of the software felt integrated. Apple can test its software against standard configurations due to its small hardware base. OS X is a lot more stable and innovative than Windows XP, and Microsoft is a few years away from doing anything about that. Panther introduced a Bash prompt, so I can dig deep if I would like.
Taking the plunge. I wanted a DVD burner, USB 2.0, DVI, and S-video out. I also wanted good styling, and the 14-inch iBook feels a bit childish to me. So the 15-inch PowerBook it is. $2500? Priced a Dell, IBM, and a Sony, and they were in a similar price range for a similar configuration. Yes, it is tough to determine a similar CPU configuration between a Pentium-M and a G4. I looked at both 1.8 and 2.0 GHz.
So far I am happy with my decision. Still trying to get my printers working wirelessly, both through the USB port in my AirPort base station and the stand-alone HP Deskjet 5850.